YuGiOh! GX: Red Hot Duelist
by Shradow
Summary: A boy is found floating in the ocean off the shores of Duel Academy, and he is quickly enrolled as a bright young duelist. But plagued with amnesia, will he be able to find out about his past, and still keep up his grades?
1. Chapter 1: Academy Bound

**I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, any of its characters, etc.**

**This fanfiction has been rated E for Everyone.**

* * *

It was another sunny day at Duel Academy. A calm breeze blew in the air, the ocean water crashed into the rocky shores, and a student was relaxing under the shade of his favorite spot outlooking the ocean.

The boy stretched as he woke up from a nap, yawning and saying, "Ah, what a nice day today. Kinda boring, though. Nothing interesting has happened today." He wore a red blazer, with red shoes and white pants. His hair was dark brown with light brown streaks through it.

"Jaden! Jaden!" A voice could be heard in the distance.

"Hm? Is that Syrus?" The boy stood up and looked down the hill.

Sure enough, another boy, wearing the same red blazer and shoes, but with light blue hair and glasses, was running up the hill.

"Jaden! There's a problem! Come quick!" The boy panted heavily and sat on the ground in fatigue as he reached his friend.

"What is it Syrus? What's wrong?" Jaden walked over to Syrus and helped him up.

"T-there's a guy, down by the docks. I saw him floating in the ocean!" Syrus exclaimed, panting during his sentence.

"What! We gotta help him!" Jaden ran off towards the dock, leaving Syrus behind.

Syrus got up and started chasing after Jaden, saying tiredly, "Jaden, wait up! Don't leave without me!"

* * *

Down at the docks, Jaden was looking around for the boy Syrus talked about. He finally noticed him, trapped between some rocks a short distance from the docks.

Syrus finally caught up to Jaden, and sat down again with fatigue. "Hey, Jay, how are we supposed to get him?" Syrus managed to say.

"Simple." Jaden jumped into the water without saying any more. When he resurfaced, he said to Syrus, "Just wait there. You can't swim, so help me get him out of the water when it's time.

"Alright," Syrus said nervously, "but be careful."

"No prob, Sy." Jaden said confidently as he swam out to save the boy.

* * *

Back on shore, Jaden and Syrus both stood over the boy. He was completely soaked, his shoulder-length black hair plastered against his skin. His glasses were slightly cracked on the right lense, and his clothes, a simple red t-shirt and blue jeans, were tattered and torn in several places.

Jaden pointed at the academy building, saying to Syrus, "I'll try to wake him up, while you go get some help, okay?"

Syrus nodded, replying, "Got it. Make sure he hasn't swallowed any sea water. Try some CPR or something." Syrus ran towards campus leaving Jaden on the dock.

Jaden scratched his head while he thought to himself. _But... I don't know how to do CPR. Aw, man, I hope he's a light sleeper._

Jaden knelt down besides the boy and tried to wake him up. He tried various tactics, from yelling, to slapping, to tickling, but nothing seemed to work.

Finally Jaden just sat down in exasperation. "Jeez, this guy just won't wake up. I guess I better get a move on with this him to campus." Jaden picked up the boy and carried him on his back, almost dropping him on several occasions. _Man, wet people are heavy._

* * *

In the school infirmary, the boy was dried off and placed in a sick bed while a doctor checked him out. A bald man with a beard and wearing a dark red jacket was standing next to the doctor, but then walked away over to where Jaden and Syrus were waiting.

Syrus got up from his seat and said nervously to the man, "Chancellor Sheppard, is he going to be okay?"

Sheppard put his hand on Jaden and Syrus' shoulders. "It's okay. The doctor says nothing wrong with him. A few scrapes and bruises, but nothing major." He removed his hands from the boys' shoulders and crossed his arms. "But we don't have any idea who this boy is. I've searched through the school database, and found nothing. He's not one of ours."

* * *

A few hours later, the boy finally awoke.

He sat up in his bed and looked around the infirmary, though his glasses were on the tray next to him. _Why is everything so blurry? _The boy thought to himself. He reached up and touched his face, feeling for his glasses. Realizing they weren't there, he reached around the dark room to try and find them. During, he fell off his bed and knocked over the stand, making a ruckus.

The doctor still in the infirmary dashed in and turned on the lights in the room. When he saw the boy awake on the floor, he exclaimed to no one in particular, "Oh, he's awake!" He helped the boy up and back onto the bed, passing him his fallen glasses.

The boy blinked a couple of times to get his eyes adjusted to the light and looked around the room with renewed clarity. "W-where am I?" He looked down at himself, wearing some dry clothes, a red blazer in place of his normal t-shirt. "And wh-what happened to my clothes?" The boy looked at the doctor timidly.

The doctor replied kindly to the boy as he picked up the fallen tray and its contents, "You're in the infirmary, here at Duel Academy. We found you floating in the ocean, and you've been asleep for half the day." The doctor finished cleaning and looked at the boy. "As for your clothes, the only thing we had laying around that was your size was a Slifer Red uniform."

"The-the ocean?" the boy exclaimed. He then looked down at the floor and spoke quietly to himself, "H-how did I end up in the ocean. And where am I? Some academy place? A-and..."

The boy stayed quiet for awhile, then thought to himself, _W-who am I? I don't remember anything._

The doctor finally spoke up again. "Now that you're awake, I need to ask you some questions. What's your name, and how did you get here?"

The boy looked up at the doctor and merely replied, "I don't know. I-I can't remember anything..."

"Oh, my. I'd better get you over to Chancellor Sheppard right away."

* * *

"I'll leave him to you, Chancellor." the doctor said as he left Sheppard's office.

Sheppard sat in a large chair behind his desk A thinner man stood next to him, his long blonde hair back in a pony tail, wearing a blue blazer with pink frills.

"So," Sheppard said to the boy, "you say you can't remember anything. The doctor says it's merely a bit of amnesia. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. But where am I? The doctor said this place was s-some academy...?" The boy shuffled his feet nervously.

Sheppard swivelled his chair to look out the large window at the back of his office and said proudly, "Yes, you have arrived here, at Duel Academy. Here we train bright young children, much like you, in the ways of Duel Monsters."

"Duel Monsters! Like, the card game?" the boy's nervousness all gone, only enthusiasm could be heard in his voice.

Sheppard turned around in surprise. "Yes. Are you aware of it?"

"Oh, um... Well..." the boy said, the nervousness having returned, "I-it's the only thing I can remember now that you mention it, so... yeah, I guess."

"Hm. That changes things then. I have a proposal." Sheppard stood up out of his chair. "You don't know who you are, and neither do we. With you amnesia, I doubt you can remember your parents either?"

"N-no. No sir." The boy sighed.

"Well, then the only solution I can think of, at least until you regain your memory, is to let you stay here as a student for the time being."

"What? Preposterous!" The man behind Sheppard finally spoke up. "This boy has only just washed up on our shores, and you think he should be allowed to stay? He hasn't even been tested in any way. We don't know if he's capable of becoming a student here." The man crossed his arms with a huff.

"Yes, yes, Dr. Crowler, I am aware of that." Sheppard turned toward Crowler. "Which is why I believe you are the best one to test him. That is why I brought you here to meet this boy."

"What? Me?" Crowler was about to object, but then an idea formulated inside his head and a sly smile crept across his face. "Why, I believe you're right. Don't worry, Chancellor, I'll take care of it... _personally_." Crowler walked out of the room with the smile still intact.

"Now then, it's time we took you to get some cards." Sheppard led the boy out of the room.

* * *

"Ms. Dorothy, this boy here has just arrived, and he is in need of some cards." Sheppard and the boy stood in the card shop of Duel Academy, where across the counter a woman in a peach shirt and suspenders attached to her blue apron. Her brown hair was braided back in a ponytail, and her kind eyes rested behind a pair of glasses.

Ms. Dorothy was happy to oblige. "Why, a new student in the middle of the semester? What did he do, swim here?" Ms. Dorothy laughed at her unknowingly true joke as she reached under the counter for some card packs.

Sheppard and the boy glanced at each other as the awkward silence passed by.

Ms. Dorothy came up from behind the counter with 10 card packs. "These should be enough for now. We haven't had any new students since the beginning of the semester, and I'm feeling generous."

"Thanks, Ms. Dorothy. You're very kind." The boy grew quiet as he opened the first pack of cards. He picked out a few and held them in his hand to look.

_Ah, finally!_

The boy looked around the room after hearing the voice. "Did you... Did you say something, Ch-Chancellor Sheppard?" The boy looked around confused.

"No, I didn't say a thing. Are you alright? Not hearing things, I hope." Sheppard looked worryingly at the boy.

"Um... N-no, I-I'm okay." The boy stuttered nervously. He looked down at the cards in his hand, and was amazed with what he had received.

In his hand lay three Raging Flame Sprite monster cards in front of all the others.

_Wow. This is cool._ The boy thought to himself as he looked through the rest of the card packs. "Thanks again, Ms. Dorothy, this will help a lot!" The boy smiled at Ms. Dorothy.

"No problem. I can't wait to see you use them. I'm sure you'll do fine here. Run along now, it's getting late." Ms. Dorothy's gaze turned towards Sheppard. "You, too, Chancellor. You can't overwork yourself."

"Yes, good night Ms. Dorothy. Come on, let's show you to where you'll be staying for the time being."

* * *

"Hey, my name's Jaden. Jaden Yuki! Nice to meetcha!" Jaden went to shake hands with the boy. "You're staying with us for now, so I think we should introduce ourselves.

The boy nervously shook Jaden's hand. "Um... Hi. You-you're the one who f-fished me out of the ocean, right?"

"Yup, that's me. Maybe next time you should pick a better spot for a swim. Hahaha!" Jaden climbed to the top bunk and shook a large lump that was in the bed. "Hey, Chumley, wake up! We got a new roommate!"

All that could be heard was snoring.

"Well, you can meet him later, I guess. Well, this is Syrus." Jaden stood behind the blue-haired kid with glasses from earlier.

"Nice to meet you." Syrus then got a questioning look on his face. "Um, what did you say your name was again?"

The boy stood in awkward silence for a second. "Um... Well... The doctor says I have am-amnesia, and I can't remember anything, so I don't really know my name. S-sorry..."

"What? You don't have a name!" Jaden walked up and clapped the boy on the shoulder. "Well, looks like we just gotta give you one!" Jaden said with a smile on his face.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea. Leave me out of it." Syrus sat down in a chair and turned away towards the window.

"Fine then. Now what should we call you... Hm..." Jaden sat down and crossed his legs in concentration.

At the same time, the boy tried to remember his own name. He wasn't too keen on what Jaden could think up.

"How about Hiro?" Jaden said finally. "That sounds like a cool name."

"Um..." The boy twiddled his thumbs. "I... Guess so. Why not?"

"Alright, Hiro it is!" Jaden smiled widely at Hiro, and he smiled back.

Syrus finally decided to cut in. "Well, Hiro, we all better get to bed. Chancellor Sheppard says you still have to pass an entry exam in order to officially enroll here, and we could all use some sleep."

Jaden yawned. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Jaden walked over to the closet and pulled out a small mattress. "Hiro, since all the bunks are full, you can take mine and I'll sleep on the extra mattress."

"What? No, I-I couldn't do that. This is your dorm room." Hiro shook his head as he spoke.

"It's no problem, bro. Think of it as a welcome to Duel Academy, from me to you." Jaden gave Hiro a thumbs-up. "From a friend."

_A friend?_ Hiro smiled at Jaden.

Hiro was about to go to sleep, but Jaden cut in, "Oh, you need some sleeping clothes, too. You look about Syrus' size, so you can use some of his."

"Hey, don't I get a say in it!" Syrus asked.

Everyone, except Chumley, of course, laughed as they went to sleep for the night.

* * *

Back in Dr. Crowler's office, Crowler was arranging his cards, laughing to himself. "The last time something like this happened, I lost to that Slifer slacker, Jaden Yuki." Crowler placed his final cards in order. "There's no way I'm going to let some nameless punk be allowed into _my_ school!"


	2. Chapter 2: Trial by Fire

**I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, any of its characters, etc.**

**This fanfiction has been rated E for Everyone.**

* * *

Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, and Hiro walked into the Obelisk Blue dueling arena the next day, and the large crowd was quite a surprise to all of them.

"Wow, this is a big crowd!" Chumley exclaimed in surprise. Chumley was a large boy with a standard Slifer Red blazer, but with the red and white inverted. His hair and facial features resembled a koala.

"W-Why are there so m-m-many people? It makes me n-nervous..." Hiro looked around the room then lowered his gaze to the floor.

"Ah, Dr. Crowler believed it was a good idea for this to be a public thing. Something about motivation, he said."

Hiro looked to the stands nearest him looking for the voice he heard, and saw a man with long black hair and glasses holding a cat. He wore a white shirt, black pants, and a necktie.

The man got up from his seat and walked over to Hiro. "Hello, young man. I'm the Slifer Red dorm advisor, Professor Lyman Banner," Banner nodded towards his cat, "and this is my cat, Pharaoh. Say hello, Pharoah." Pharaoh meowed and started purring. "I'm afraid I was unable to welcome you to the Silfer dorm last night, so I just wanted to wish you luck in your duel."

"Oh, th-th-thanks, I guess..." Hiro put his hand behind his head and looked towards the floor again.

"Aw, come on, Hiro, stop being so shy about this!" Jaden shoved Hiro towards the arena. "Just get out there and get your game on!" Jaden passed him a duel disk and saw him off with a peace sign.

Hiro walked up to the arena tentatively. _I wonder who my opponent is. That Dr. Crowler lady said she would take care of it personally._ Hiro got in his assigned spot in the arena, and equipped and activated his duel disk, placing his cards into it.

Hiro looked across to the other side of the arena to find Crowler wearing a duel vest and sporting a smug smile.

"D-Dr. Crowler!" Hiro was not only nervous, but now confused as well.

Jaden, Chumley, and Syrus sat down next to a boy and a girl wearing a yellow and blue uniform, respectively.

"Hey, Bastion, Alexis, here to watch Hiro totally kick some butt?" Jaden was as enthused as ever.

Bastion was a boy wearing a yellow blazer with a green shirt underneath, and with black hair spiked back like a hedgehog's spines. "Hm, we'll see. I'm not quite sure he has it in him." He spoke with a British accent.

Syrus was surprised at Bastion's statement. "What do you mean? He'll do great!"

"I'm not so sure," Alexis cut in. "Look at his opponent. It's Dr. Crowler." Alexis had long blonde hair and wore a girl's Obelisk Blue uniform on, with a white and blue shirt, blue boots, and a blue skirt.

"Crowler? Oh no, this is so not lishus." Chumley looked sad as he looked down at the arena.

"Oh come one, Alexis. I faced Dr. Crowler for my entry exam, and I did just fine!" Jaden beamed with confidence for his friend.

Alexis sighed. "You can't compare this kid to you, Jaden. I doubt he's nearly as skilled as you. We don't even know if he's as skilled as Chumley."

"I would take offense to that, if I weren't so hungry." Chumley rubbed his stomach. "We dashed over here so fast I didn't get to eat breakfast."

"Chumley, you're always hungry, so you never take offense to anything." Syrus replied. "However, now's not the time to be talking about food. Hiro's stay here at duel academy is on the line!"

* * *

"Welcome, boy. I hope you are up to this, because you'll be facing up against me." Crowler activated his duel vest.

Hiro took off his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt tail, making sure to be careful around the cracks on the right lense. After he put them back on and adjusted them, he replied with confidence, "Prepare yourself, then. I won't go easy with you just because you're a girl!"

There was an awkward silence between the two duelists, and even the crowd quieted.

"A _girl_?" Crowler looked furious. The crowd started laughing. "I am not a girl, I am a boy-I mean a man! Nameless punk... I will defeat you! It's my draw first!"

_Crowler: 4000_

_Hiro: 4000_

Crowler drew his card, and played it. "I summon Ancient Gear Soldier in Attack Position!"

_Ancient Gear Soldier_

_ATK: 1300_

_DEF: 1300_

Ancient Gear Soldier was a human-sized machine, covered in rusted metal plating and with gears spread throughout its body. A gun took the place of one of its hands.

"I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"My draw." Hiro said as he drew his card. He looked at it with a smile. "I summon Raging Flame Sprite in Attack Position."

_Raging Flame Sprite_

_ATK: 100_

_DEF: 200_

Raging Flame Sprite was a small boy with pointed ears and red hair. He wore a green tunic and boots, and an orange hat and pants. He wielded a staff with flame emblazoned on it.

Crowler laughed as the monster was summoned. "That card has barely any Attack Points. It has no hope of fighting my Ancient Gear Soldier."

"That's true, but I have no intention of doing that. Raging Flame Sprite can attack your Life Points directly, and each time he does, his Attack Points raise by 1000! But first, I activate the Field Spell, Molten Destruction! Now, all FIRE Attribute monsters gain 500 Attack Points, but lose 400 Defense Points."

The field slot in Hiro's duel disk opened and he inserted the card. When he did, a deep rumbling could be heard throughout the arena as a large volcano spewing lava appeared.

_Raging Flame Sprite_

_ATK: 600_

_DEF: 0_

"Raging Flame Sprite, attack with Raging Inferno!"

A large flame radiated from Raging Flame Sprite, then was concentrated into the staff and was shot at Crowler.

_Crowler: 3400_

_Hiro: 4000_

_Raging Flame Sprite_

_ATK: 1600_

_DEF: 0_

_Take that, Crowler!_

Hiro looked around, hearing the voice again. He ignored it and ended his turn.

"Hm. Not bad, for a rookie." Crowler drew his card. "Now, I activate the Spell Card Confiscation. By paying 1000 Life Points, I can look at your hand, and send one of your cards to the Graveyard."

_Crowler: 2400_

_Hiro: 4000_

Holograms of Hiro's hand appeared before Crowler. "Blaze Accelerator, to the Graveyard." Crowler pointed at the hologram, and it was destroyed. Then Hiro placed the card in his Graveyard.

_I hate to be redundant, but..._ Crowler played a new card. "I activate the Spell Card Heavy Storm! With this, all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are destroyed."

A holographic storm blew through the arena, destroying Molten Destruction and Crowler's two face-down cards. "And by destroying my two trap cards, Statue of the Wicked, I can summon two Wicked Tokens to the field."

_Wicked Token 1 & 2_

_ATK: 1000_

_DEF: 1000_

The Wicked Tokens were golden, lizard-like creatures.

"But they won't be here for long. I sacrifice both of them to summon the legendary Ancient Gear Golem!" Crowler played a new monster and sacrificed the two Wicked Tokens. They disappeared into dust as the Ancient Gear Golem rose from the arena.

_Ancient Gear Golem_

_ATK: 3000_

_DEF: 3000_

Ancient Gear Golem was a massive mechanic giant, covered in metal plating with gears spinning fiercely. One of his hands was clawed, and his single eye glowed red.

"Woah. It's so powerful..." Hiro looked with wonder at the new monster.

"My turn isn't done yet. Without the power boost from Molten Destruction, your Raging Flame Sprite is now weak enough for Ancient Gear Soldier to attack! Go, with Ballistics Barrage!"

Ancient Gear Soldier shot at Raging Flame Sprite with its gun, destroying him.

_Crowler: 2400_

_Hiro: 3800_

"Now, Ancient Gear Golem, attack with Mechanized Melee!"

Ancient Gear Golem punched at Hiro directly.

_Crowler: 2400_

_Hiro: 800_

"I end my turn, though on my next I will defeat you."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Hiro drew his next card and played it. "I activate the Spell Card, Nightmare's Steelcage!"

A large cage in the shape of a dome covered the arena, sealing the two duelists in.

"With this neither of our monsters can attack for two of your turns." Hiro then placed a card face-down, ending his turn.

"Hm. A stalling tactic, but a weak move nonetheless." Crowler drew his next card without hurry. "First, I summon Ancient Gear in Attack Position, and now with one Ancient Gear face-up on my field, I can activate my Ancient Gear's ability to Special Summon another Ancient Gear from my hand!"

_Ancient Gear 1 & 2_

_ATK: 100_

_DEF: 800_

The Ancient Gears were small machines made almost entirely of gears and wheels. It balanced with its hands and single wheel, and its head was only a wheel.

"I'll leave it at that." Crowler said smugly.

Hiro drew another card, and gasped when he saw it._ And I might have to leave this duel to this._ Hiro simply summoned another Raging Flame Sprite and ended his turn.

"Again, you seem to not see what you're up against. No matter how many of those puny sprites you summon, they don't stand a chance against my Ancient Gear Golem." Crowler drew his card and laughed heartily. "And if they can't defeat one, what chance do they have of holding their own against _three!_"

"What? Three? What do you mean by that?" Hiro looked at Crowler's drawn card.

"You will see now! I play the Spell Card Spell Gear!"

Crowler played a card and a large gear system in the shape of a top appeared.

"With this, by simply sacrificing three of my Ancient Gear cards," the two Ancient Gears and the Ancient Gear Soldier disappeared into dust, "I can summon two Ancient Gear Golems, one from my hand, and one from my Deck. I can't Normal Summon or Set until after the end of my next turn, but that won't matter. Now that time has come!" Two more Ancient Gear Golems appeared beside his first, and Hiro gaped at the giant monsters standing before him.

_Ancient Gear Golem 2 & 3_

_ATK: 3000_

_DEF: 3000_

The entire audience gasped.

"There's no way he can stand up to those behemoths!" Bastian stood up in surprise as he exclaimed what seemed to be fact. "It would take a miracle for him to get out of this. Dr. Crowler is going after him with everything he's got!"

Crowler laughed maniacally, almost drowning out the audience's gasps of shock. "Now, on my next turn, all three Ancient Gear Golems will be free to attack! This game's over no matter what card you draw. You can't possibly stand against my three Ancient Gear Golems." Crowler laughed again. "It's over. You were never a match for me. Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this."

Hiro drew his card. "My deck has no pathetic cards, Crowler. But it does contain..." Hiro played the card he drew. "Incandescent Ordeal!"

"A Ritual Spell?" Crowler said in surprise.

Hiro smirked. "Yes. And a powerful one at that. I tribute the Raging Flame Sprite on my field, and the Blazing Inpachi in my hand to summon," the Raging Flame Sprites disappeared as both cards were sent to the Graveyard, "Legendary Flame Lord!"

_Legendary Flame Lord_

_ATK: 2400_

_DEF: 2000_

Legendary Flame Lord was a man with red hair. He wore lightweight leather armor, with a red cape and a blue hat. His staff sported a small orb of fire at its tip, and he had a slightly larger orb of fire concentrated in his hand.

Crowler's look of surprise faded as he saw the monster. "Hm? That monster doesn't have enough Attack Power to even touch my Ancient Gear Golems. What do you hope to accomplish?"

"I plan to win this duel. First, I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed, to draw two cards," Hiro drew two cards, "but now I activate my trap, Spell Reclamation, and I chain it to my Pot of Greed! Now whenever Pot of Greed gets sent to the Graveyard, it gets brought back to my hand. And now with it in my hand again, I activate it a second time," Hiro drew two more cards. "Now I play Pot of Avarice. I send up to 5 monsters from my Graveyard to my Deck, and then draw 2 more cards."

"No matter how many cards you draw, they won't help you." Crowler just hoped that his statement was correct.

Hiro smirked again. "You're right. But I don't need any of them to defeat you now. With Pot of Greed and Pot of Avarice, both Spell Cards, played a total of 3 times, that gives Legendary Flame Lord three Spell Counters. Now I can remove them and activate his special ability, an ability that destroys all monsters on the field other then himself!"

"What? No, it can't be!" Crowler watched helplessly as Legendary Flame Lord destroyed all three of his Ancient Gear Golems with a large wall of flame released from his staff.

"Now that you're left defenseless, it's time I finished this duel! Legendary Flame Lord, attack with Incandescent Blaze!"

The orb in Legendary Flame Lords' hand started to pulse, and wave of heat rolled off it as he released it at Crowler. He screamed in defeat as he was engulfed in flame.

_Crowler: 0_

_Hiro: 800_

The crowd cheered as Hiro won.

Jaden and Syrus ran to the arena to congratulate Hiro. Chumley followed close behind saying, "Oh, not running."

Jaden was ecstatic. "Dude, you totally owned Crowler there. That was sweet! You sure know how to get your game on!"

Syrus was also really happy. "And you said you were nervous, you did great!"

"Well, it's nothing, r-really." Hiro looked at his new friends and smiled.

"You're wrong, that was an amazing duel!"

Hiro turned around to see Sheppard smiling at him.

"That duel has cemented your place here at Duel Academy for sure." Sheppard put his hand out to shake Hiro's. "Congratulations..." Sheppard paused seeing as he didn't know Hiro's new name.

Hiro reached out and shook Sheppard's hand. "Call me Hiro."

"Then, congratulations, Hiro. Welcome to the academy. Unfortunately, you will of course be starting out at the bottom in the Slifer Red dorm, but I'm sure with such great dueling skills, you'll advance further in no time."

"Thank you, Chancellor." Hiro looked at his Slifer Red blazer. "I think red's my color, anyways."

"Indeed." Sheppard turned around towards Crowler, on the floor in sadness. "Now, Crowler, we have something to discuss."

_Oh, no. I went overboard with that nameless punk, and now Chancellor could get me fired, or worse! _"Y-yes, Chancellor Sheppard?" Crowler got up and saw Sheppard's smiling face.

"That was wonderful, Dr. Crowler. You were so into that duel. So much passion, so much drama! If I didn't know any better, I'd really think you were trying to keep that boy out of the academy." Sheppard reached out and grabbed Crowler's hand, shaking it. "Well done."

"Why, yes, of course, Chancellor. That's what I did. Thought I'd give the students a good show."

After the duel, students started going there different ways for the day. Bastion and Alexis still stood in the stands watching Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, and Hiro talking together in the arena.

"Well now. With my calculations, I didn't think that the boy could've pulled it off." Bastion stood up to leave.

Alexis nodded and agreed. "He's quite the duelist."

"Indeed he is."

Alexis and Bastion turned around to see another boy. He had piercing eyes that seemed concentrated on everything around him. He had long dark blue hair, and he wore an Obelisk Blue uniform with the white and blue of his blazer inverted.

"Oh, hello Zane." Alexis regarded Zane with respect. "Did you watch the duel?"

"Yes, I did." Zane looked down at Hiro, still in the arena with his new friends. "And I think things just got a lot more interesting around here." Zane looked from Hiro to Jaden and back. "Again."


	3. Chapter 3: A Warmer Welcome

**I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, any of its characters, etc.**

**This fanfiction is rated E for Everyone.**

* * *

_Hiro opened his eyes to a bright orange light that constantly flickered. His eyes adjusted and he saw that the light was in fact a large fire, out of control and with a burnt house in its clutches._

"_Mom! Dad!"_

_A voice was heard in front of Hiro, and he looked near the front of the house to see a small boy, and he sounded like he was crying._

"_Hey, kid, what's wrong? W-What on earth happened here?" Hiro ran up to the kid and put his hand on his shoulder._

_When the boy looked up towards him, the boy was indeed crying. However, he had no face, and tears streamed down from no visible starting point._

"_They're gone... Gone..." The boy turned from Hiro's gaze and started sobbing again._

* * *

Hiro was jolted from his dream. His clothes were damp with sweat, and Hiro tasted salt. He touched his face to find he was crying, as well.

Hiro tried to get back to sleep, was unable to do so. With light starting to shine across the horizon, Hiro decided to calm down with a shower.

* * *

Hiro had been reading a book, but was still attentive of what Jaden was doing. "Jaden, what are you doing?"

Jaden had all of his cards spread out on the floor in front of him, and he was looking at them intently.

"You've been staring at your cards for the past hour. You've been awake since eight, and you usually you sleep until noon."

Jaden suddenly looked at Hiro. "Oh yeah, I haven't told you yet." Jaden stood up and turned at Hiro. "Anyways, there's this other dueling school called North Academy, and every year someone from our school duels against someone from their school in the annual School Duel." Jaden then grinned from ear to ear. "And this year I'm the one who's been picked to be Duel Academy's rep! Isn't that sweet?"

"W-wow, that's so cool! You're a great duelist, I'm sure you deserve it." Hiro closed his book and got out of his chair. "Come on, l-let's get some breakfast." Hiro looked at the lump resting on the top bunk. "I'll w-wake up Chumley, or at least tr-try. Oh, and where's Syrus?"

Jaden was putting up his cards. "Oh, he's already eaten and off taking a shower or something. I don't see how he can wake up so early in the morning."

* * *

Crowler stood in the shadows near the Slifer Red dorm, chuckling to himself. _If my plan works like it should, then when Jaden leaves his room, he won't be in any condition to participate in the school duel. Then the spot will be free for me to nominate another student of _my _choosing._

Outside the dorm room, the flooring under the welcome mat had been weakened near breaking point.

Crowler watched carefully from his hiding place, but he screamed a little when Hiro was the first one to leave the room.

"Come on, let's go!" Hiro was so hungry he dashed out the door and jumped over the welcome mat.

"I hope there's grilled cheese." Chumley walked out of the room next.

Crowler almost lost it as Chumley walked across the mat. The wood creaked heavily but didn't give.

"Grilled cheese for breakfast?" Finally, Jaden walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. "I don't think your obsession with grilled cheese would make sense of it being served for breakfast."

Crowler sighed in relief as Jaden walked onto the mat.

There was a loud crash as Jaden fell through the flooring to the ground below.

And right onto Hiro.

Hiro had been standing at the door of the mess hall of the Slifer Red dorm, coincidently directly underneath their dorm room.

"Ow, my arm!" Jaden cried out in pain. Jaden jumped off of Hiro and was holding his limp arm.

Hiro got up and studied Jaden's arm. "This looks b-bad! We-we'll have to get you to the i-infirmary!"

Chumley put his hands on his hips, and said sadly, "Does this mean we're skipping breakfast?"

"Eh, y-you better go on ahead and eat. We'll catch up to you later." Jaden tried to wave goodbye to Chumley with his hurt hand, and was only rewarded with a wince of pain for his troubles.

* * *

"I hate to say this, but you've got a broken arm." The doctor checked Jaden's x-rays. "Luckily it's a clean break. It's a good thing you landed on your friend here," the doctor pointed to Hiro. "Or things could've been much worse."

"Broken! What does this mean for my dueling? I can still duel, right?" Jaden looked at the doctor pleadingly.

"Well, normal dueling is fine, without the use of a duel disk. But dueling with one, the holographic monsters would put too much strain on your arm."

Sheppard was also there in the infirmary, and was dismayed at the news. "But Jaden's our representative in the School Duel, and it's in three days! If he can't duel, then what are we supposed to do?"

"You'll just have to find a replacement, I'm afraid. Jaden mustn't be allowed to duel in such a manner until his arm fully heals in a few weeks. That's the end of it." the doctor said curtly. He then left the room.

The door to the infirmary suddenly opened, and Alexis and Syrus rushed in.

Alexis ran up to Jaden's bedside. "Jaden, are you okay? I came as quickly as I could when I heard what happened."

Hiro turned to see her, and immediately his face reddened.

Jaden crossed his good arm across his chest with his broken arm in the sling. "My arm's broken, but that's not the problem. The doctor says I can't duel in the School Duel!"

Alexis's eyes widened at the news. "But you're one of the best duelists at our school! Who could replace you?" Alexis then noticed Hiro, and Hiro's turned away from her. "Oh, you're the one who beat Dr. Crowler."

"Oh yeah, you two haven't met yet. Alexis, this is Hiro. Hiro, this is my friend Alexis." Jaden motioned with his hands as he spoke.

"U-Um, h-h-h-h-hi A-Alexis. N-N-N-N-Nice to m-m-m-meet you." Hiro shook Alexis's hand shakily.

"Hey, what's up Hiro?" Jaden cocked his head at Hiro. "You don't usually stutter _this _much."

"I think it's cute." Alexis said it jokingly, but Hiro's face only reddened even more. "Well, I'm Alexis Rhodes. It's nice to meet you, too." She smiled at Hiro, and he looked away quickly.

Jaden smirked with confidence. "I think I have the perfect idea for a replacement." Jaden pointed dramatically at Hiro. "Hiro, I think you should take my place in the School Duel!"

"W-W-W-W-What? M-M-M-M-M-M-Me? N-No, I-I-I-I-I-I..." Hiro stuttered profusely at Jaden's idea.

Syrus sighed. "There he goes again. If he's this nervous when he's _not_ dueling, what about when he is? Do you think this is a good idea?" Syrus then noticed Hiro looking at him. "Ah, not that I don't think you're a good duelist, I think you're great, it's just..."

The door to the infirmary opened again and Zane walked in. "I overheard what you said from outside. I think it's a great idea." Zane looked intently at Jaden, then Hiro. "It's a shame I won't be able to see more of Jaden's dueling skills, but I think it's not so bad if I get to see yours."

"That's Zane Trusdale, the best duelist in the school," Syrus whispered to Hiro, "and my big brother."

"I agree, Zane." Sheppard cut in. "Hiro, you've only been here a short week, but from what I've seen, you've proven yourself a skilled duelist."

Then the door to the infirmary opened yet again.

"Wow, I'm popular today, huh?" Jaden laughed at his joke.

Crowler walked into the room and feigned mock surprise at Jaden's injury. "Oh my, I heard you were hurt, but I didn't think it was this bad." Crowler pushed past Hiro and stopped in front of Jaden. "If you're hurt like this, I don't think you'll be able to participate in the upcoming School Duel." _Perfect. Now's my chance._ Crowler smiled devilishly, and turned to Sheppard. "Chancellor Sheppard, for a replacement for Jaden, I propose-"

Sheppard put his hand up for Crowler to quiet. "It's already been taken care of." Sheppard reached out and grabbed Hiro by the arm and dragged him in front of Crowler. "Hiro will be our new representative to replace Jaden. You needn't worry yourself about it any longer."

"What? Him! But he's just another Slifer sla-" Crowler quickly cut himself off and silenced his outburst, but the veins in his head starting bulging. _That nameless brat? What did they call him, Hiro? It doesn't matter, he's just another Slifer slacker. Why they would choose him is beyond me. _Crowler then started to leave the infirmary and said, with his back turned to everyone else, "Yes, a good choice I do believe. After all, he did beat me. That must mean something." _Must mean he's got some beginner's luck!_

After Crowler left, Jaden chuckled a little and turned towards Hiro. "So, whadya say, Hiro? Wanna give it a shot?"

Hiro hesitated. "W-well... I-I um..." Hiro paused, not knowing what to say.

Zane walked up to Hiro and put a hand on his shaking shoulder. "I believe you should think about it for a little bit. You don't have to make the decision right away."

"Y-yeah." Hiro said sadly as he walked out of the room. "I-I'll be in the library if anyone needs me." Hiro said before closing the door.

* * *

Hiro sat at a table in the library with his head in his hands. _Can I do this? I'm not sure if I'm good enough. What if I let everybody down?_

_You can do it, Boss! You're the best duelist we know!_

Hiro looked around the library in confusion. _And now I'm hearing those voices again. Have I gone crazy?_

_You have your sanity, my lord._

Out of nowhere, three Raging Flame Sprites appeared. Hiro screamed and fell out of his chair, and luckily no one else was in the library.

"W-Who are you guys? A-a-am I imagining things?" Hiro stood up and stared at the Raging Flame Sprites.

"Guys? Hey, I'm a girl. Get it right, kid." the middle Raging Flame Sprite said indignantly.

"As am I, my lord." The Raging Flame Sprite on the left bowed.

As Hiro looked at the three Raging Flame Sprites. They looked identical, but there was something in their eyes, and how they held themselves, telling him those two were in fact female. However he could only tell if he really concentrated.

"Don't forget about me, boss! I'm not a girl!" The Raging Flame Sprite on the right smiled.

"B-But you all look the same, h-how am I supposed to tell you apart?" Hiro tried to see a distinct difference to make things easier, but could find none.

The middle Raging Flame Sprite crossed her arms. "We have names, kid. I'm Kulina."

The other female rose from her bow. "And I, my lord, am Aarien."

The male Raging Flame Sprite flew right in front of Hiro's face. "And I'm Makar! We're your Spirit Partners!" Makar tried to shake Hiro's hand, but he just phased through it. "Oh, right." Makar floated back next to Kulina and Aarien.

"Sp-spirit Partners? L-like duel spirits? I've heard of those." Hiro thought in silence for a second, but then remembered something. "Wait, was it you three those couple times I heard those voices?"

"It was me when you opened our card pack." Kulina raised her hand.

"And me when you summoned me against that creep Crowler." Makar raised his hand enthusiastically.

"And I spoke to you a short while ago." Aarien bowed again.

"Ok, so is what you said true? Do... Do you really think I can compete in the School Duel? I don't think I'm r-ready." Hiro sighed and looked at the floor.

"Oh, come on, boss. You did fine against that Crowler guy, didn't you? You weren't nervous at all. You can do the School Duel for sure!" Makar gave Hiro a thumbs up.

"Right now, I think you need to calm down, kid. Go read a book or something. I'm leaving." Kulina disappeared from sight.

"I'm sorry, my lord, but Kulina isn't quite alright with this situation. She thinks sometimes you're too timid." Aarien then disappeared.

"Well, I'll be seeing ya. Bye, boss!" Makar waved goodbye as he faded.

"Go read a book, huh?" Hiro walked over to a shelf and started leafing through the various books on the shelves. Eventually he came upon a large old book with a card placed in it as a bookmark. When Hiro opened the book and inspected the card, it was as if it were meant for him.

_She must've known this was here._ Hiro smiled to himself.

_Nope. _Kulina chimed in._ Had no clue. I just told you to read a book or something. Nice card, though, kid. Might come in handy._

Hiro chuckled a little. "Right."

* * *

Hiro knocked on Sheppard's door after his trip to the library.

"Come in." Hiro heard Sheppard's voice from inside the room.

Hiro opened the door and entered Sheppard's office. He walked up to Sheppard with confidence, knowing his decision. "I've come to a decision, Chancellor Sheppard."

"Yes, and what may that be?" Sheppard asked hopingly.

"I'll make Duel Academy proud, Chancellor."


End file.
